Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spicy corn muffins with shrimp salsa

  • dgiles on June 05, 2021

    LOVE these corn muffins. Baked them in my Lodge cat head biscuit pan. For once, I could really taste the spices in a corn bread/muffin recipe.

• Spicy roasted butternut squash soup

  • mommaG on December 28, 2020

    This soup is so flavorful. I was a little skeptical because there was no coconut milk or cream added. It does not need it unless you want it for texture. No creme fraiche so just did a dollop of sour cream. I do like a little crunch on top so I did add toasted chopped macadamia nuts and a little chopped green onion and cilantro for color. Everything else I followed exactly. Such a delicious soup.

  • mommaG on December 28, 2020

    I just remembered one change I did make. I used half the cumin suggested as my husband isn’t a huge fan. I felt the cumin was perfect. It didn’t over power using the half teaspoon. I did toast it first before grinding as instructed in the recipe.

• Smoked salmon chowder

  • hillsboroks on December 17, 2021

    Despite being a week night desperation dish this turned out to be a fabulous lush, lovely chowder. I didn't have fish stock or the fresh herbs and had to substitute chicken stock and dried herbs but the results were so wonderful I can hardly wait to make it again with fish stock and fresh herbs. Served with a simple salad and a warmed store bought focaccia it made a great dinner.

• Seasoned balsamic-glazed carrots

  • Avocet on August 20, 2016

    p. 47 Good, but very poorly written recipe. The headnote calls for red wine, but it isn't in the list of ingredients. I didn't use any. The cooking directions are confused as well.

• Pork tenderloin with apple chutney

  • hillsboroks on June 12, 2016

    The apple chutney is what takes this dish over the top. Both the chutney and the pork tenderloin were simple and quick to make but my husband and our male guest loved every bit of it. They went back for seconds and thirds. It is fast enough to do on a week night but complex enough to serve for company too.

  • Yuanboa on March 08, 2026

    Made this tonight and it was delicious and very easy recipe. I added more cider and vinegar so the apple chutney would be moist for serving over tenderloin. Next time I make this I might add some dijon mustard to the chutney, just an idea

• Pepper-rubbed pork chops with warm bacon & cabbage salad

  • hillsboroks on October 28, 2014

    With this recipe I just discovered a new way to cook pork chops without having them dry out or overcook. We also really enjoyed the bacon and cabbage salad with the chops. Actually the salad really makes the dish outstanding. My husband had reservations when I told him what I was making but once he tasted the salad and chops he was sold. The cabbage is wilted but still a bit crunchy and the sauce with bacon and walnuts is a wonderful way to dress cabbage.

• Wild mushroom-potato gratin

  • wkhull on January 03, 2021

    Tasty and simple to prepare. The gratin was swimming in liquid (like half way up the pan), so would drastically reduce liquids if making again. I transferred ingredients into a baking pan vs. baking in a dutch oven. I used large sliced portabellas and sauteed them just until very little liquid was being rendered.

• John's lemon curd & blueberry cheesecake

  • nadiam1000 on July 19, 2015

    Made this without the lemon curd topping - although I am sure that would be delicious. I topped it with a mixture of 2 c. sour cream mixed with 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 c. sugar after baking and put it back in the oven for 5 mins to set the topping. The crust is a nice change from graham crackers and is similar to a brown sugar shortbread - might be good on its own actually.

• Caramelized banana cream pie

  • mommaG on March 12, 2017

    Make sure to butter the spring form on the heavy side. I buttered it and the cookie crust stuck to the sides even after running a knife around the edges. The sauce from the carmelized bananas seeped through to make it stick here and there. I could not find the chocolate wafers so I used Oreos and scraped out the white center. There is no mention on how high to press the crust up the sides of the pan. I pressed mine too high and would do a little less than half way next time. Overall it was a delicious tasting dessert and the dark crust with the carmelized bananas with the pastry cream on top looks beautiful. There is a picture in the book. I had already served it when I remembered I should have taken a picture!